


Lest You Want to Drown

by alice_dualswordlesbian



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Trans Female Character, Transphobia, chu2 and pareo will probably be a bit ooc here once future canon info starts coming, fair amount in ch2 too, lots of angst in ch1, pre-RAS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-09 16:25:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19479640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alice_dualswordlesbian/pseuds/alice_dualswordlesbian
Summary: (Content Warning: Depictions of transphobia and implied parental abuse.)It's hard to pursue what she loves when she has to fight everything alone. Where can she find someone who understands?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (notes are at the end of ch2)

" _Wonderland girl, so mysteriously wonderful~  
Wonderland girl, you and me too~_"

It takes a second, but the girl manages to perk her eyes open in response to the wave of lyrics surging from her phone. In her first seconds of today's consciousness, she frets as much as anyone with her insufficient alertness level would, quickly but shakily moving her hands to silence the alarm. Having blocked the flood, she's left on her duvet hoping nobody in the home was disturbed by the noise. 

It takes a few minutes, but eventually the time to wake up all those braincells meets her. ...Right, right. Right! Okay, today's special, let's not forget. A few steps to take, first, before she heads downstairs. Today's outfit? It's still there, laid out on the floor across the room from the previous night. Wig? Not snatched, good; she puts on her school clothes and then takes it to the bathroom. After the usual morning steps, she then places it where it belongs. Slowly, she feels the little bubble of pure joy expand within her as long, luscious locks of hair fall over her head. Not looking bad today, queen!

Morning routine progressed through, her full power achieved, Reona Nyubara descends downstairs to the kitchen table. She tries to make each step she takes down the stairs look elegant; stylizing small actions like that just feels fun, emanates fun, even.

"Morning, mom and dad!" It's a little louder than her standard entrance, but she's struggling to keep a lid on the enthusiasm; evidently, her parents are surprised that she has the wig on this early in the day.

"Morning, sweetie."

"Morning... Reona!" Her dad struggles with the greeting, as usual. But she's glad he's making the effort. "...Are you taking it to school today? You'll get in trouble, you know."

Reona smiles! "Today's the cultural festival! My class is doing a cosplay exhibition, so I can take it today!" It was a surprisingly devious plan of her, if she does say so herself. She won't draw attention to herself wearing it if her classmates just think it's part of the cosplay. Everyone around her will think she's just pretending, but it's Reona's secret alone that she'll be playing the part of 'Normal Schoolgirl' for real.

"Ah, I see..." Reona eats her breakfast a little messier than she'd have liked of herself as her dad responds. "...But..."

...the silence after his utterance is a little unnerving. "What's wrong, Dad?"

"...Do you need to wear it?" The confusion on her face is clear to him, judging by how he starts to straighten his back in one of his classic 'advice' segments. "You don't need a wig, or makeup, or anything of the sort to be accepted. You shouldn't feel pressured into wearing one..."

...and it pops.

It wasn't really the sharpest needle in the world; probably not even sharp enough to call it something that dangerous. But it pops her bubble of excitement anyway, much as she wished it would endure, and she can feel the murk start to seep into her.

"...Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to imply... You do what's best for you, Reona." He nods, self-assured that he's been some kind of positive influence. She doesn't want to make a scene, so she tries to suppress the dismal look she know would show on her face otherwise, but the damage is done.

The next few minutes progress rather drearily, but by the end of it Reona's cleaning up and moving towards her shoes, hoping she can shrug the morning off. She's nearing the next stop on her trip; even if her Dad's accidentally veered her off course a bit, she still has the confidence she can route herself to it safely. Shoelaces tied, she steps out of the door and heads to school, trying to direct her gaze away from the pavement below.

\---

Was she sad?

It was kind of hard to answer that question. Reona certainly didn't MIND having a day in which she could dress as herself without drawing as much suspicion. 

But that was the thing, wasn't it? Disguising her self-expression as a cosplay was an action that left her with feelings she couldn't quite understand. And that confusion, that chaotic, crowded tango in her mind, was enough to frustrate her. After all, this was only meant to make her feel happy, feel better about herself. 

She stops in her tracks before the door, as her thoughts look back at the visages of her peers, reading their words for any clues.

" _Eh? I could swear I saw you with those clothes last week, though. Weren't you at the shopping mall?_ "

Scary. Yeah, that was a close one. If they found out, they might’ve told their parents. Her dad’s pretty close with them, and she doesn’t want anything to endanger that...

" _Yeah, I could tell it was you in an instant. You can change your hair, but you can't hide your face from me!_ "

That one hurt more than she’d have liked, for some reason. She didn’t want to retort, though; he’s not a bad guy, and it might’ve blown her cover if she took it too personally.

" _Wow, that's a pretty weird cosplay idea... I don't think any of the other boys here thought to do that. Not that I'm saying it's bad, of course!_ "

...She wishes she didn't remember that one.

The sigh escaping her lips drags a bit. What she wouldn’t do for something that’d clear her mind right now.

Right! Let’s pay a little visit to her favorite friend.

Reona opens the door. “I’m home, Dad!” She hears the faint “welcome back, Reona” as she slips off her shoes. Fortunately, there don't appear to be any visitors hanging out with Dad today; if any of his friends saw her choices in casual wear, he'd stutter some kind of excuse, and it's generally one that isn't pleasant to hear. 

So, a hand-wash and a change of clothes later, Reona's sitting in the front room, keys at her fingertips. It's the perfect time for some practice.

Forming a melody as her wrists move, she feels at peace. Her eyes close. Her playing is by no means astounding, but she feels happy with what she can do. Even if she trips up, it's fun to play. She can be more honest with this keyboard than with anyone else. Every piece she chooses to play is one she loves, and she's not going to hide that.

She recalls some of the compliments she'd hear when the neighbours discuss her piano playing with her parents. How pleasant it was to hear on the way home, how skilled it is. Knowing that the flow of the melody from her brightens the day of the people who pass by her house, it makes her feel a bit warmer.

The music stops.

...It was always 'him' that was credited with it, though, wasn't it? She wonders if she'll ever get to hear 'her' instead, the name 'Reona' instead, when she's complimented on her playing. The one she chose.

It feels like a distant dream. But... yeah, she knows. The reality's feeling worse to her by the day; the reality that it'll continue to be 'him' who gets complimented instead, the boy who doesn't even exist. Playing this keyboard doesn't cause trouble for her mom and dad, or their neighbours, or getting laughed at by the students and teachers... but even then, when she thinks she has something she can freely take pride in, she's ultimately not the one credited with it. 

It makes her feel angry, so she tells herself she's just trying to be polite to everyone else. But that just leads to guilt, and sadness, and regret, so she tells herself she deserves a little more, tries to pep herself up. But then she just feels angry again, and then it just repeats. She's felt that cycle so many times now. 

Reona flips the pages of sheets to find a slightly more intense song, the one she likes to play during times like these. That's right. She doesn't have to care about what the people outside hear, and what they say about 'him'. At least she'll always know who's responsible for the music spun on this instrument. If she herself knows the truth, it's ok if nobody else does. And that way, she won't have to worry about getting in the way. Playing piano in a room alone like this doesn't slow down anyone's day.

As she continues to play, Reona feels her gaze lying on the floor.

\---

" _What a disgrace._ "

The mental echo reverberates, over and over, until she slams the stupid door with all the force she can muster in an attempt to silence the noise. Swearing under her breath, she walks through the egregiously long hallways until she can find the lift, hands in her pockets the whole way.

She almost wants to laugh, honestly; it didn't even look like anyone in the ballroom was going to call out the youngest Tamade child for the choice of wearing a dress. The opening reception was, as she'd expected, the usual dingy brew of awkward jokes and confused encouragement. But at least one man in the room felt like every joke was a personal attack on him, like it'd indicated some kind of failure on his part. Because of COURSE, that's what he always thinks it is.

She shakes her head, hoping it'll shut the fresh damn memory up. Soon enough, there'll be nothing the loser can do to stop her anymore, so she decides it's better to bask in that feeling instead.

"Chiyu!"

Her ears perk up. There's only one person she knows who gets the name right without fail, every single time.

"...Mom." She turns, finding a figure with a neater arrangement of red hair than her own bending down to check on her.

"Are you ok? I heard the shouting..."

"He's as noisy as ever! I'm amazed he hasn't started just throwing around stuff or something yet, with how much red's smeared on his face."

"I'm so sorry... he'll act his age around you someday, I know it."

Yeah, right. Mom gives him WAY too much credit for her own good.

"A-anyway, that's not all I came here for. I've got good news!"

"Hm? What is it?" She doubts she'll consider much good news now, but why not.

"You qualified!" Her mom holds up a sheet of paper; oh, nice. That's a letter from the international high-school, huh. "Your grades were excellent enough that they're letting you start 1st grade in September!"

"...Yeah. That's good to hear. Can I read over the letter tomorrow?"

"Of course. Are you heading back to the-"

"Yup." She already knows what she's gonna say, so it's faster to just respond immediately. "Thanks, mom."

Mom gives off a debilitatingly bright smile. Before she loses her friggin' eyes having to look at her, she turns and starts heading off. 

"See you later," she says in English, instead. "Oh, and Chiyu!"

"Mm?"

"Come and visit us every now and then. I know you don't want to see him... but you can still come and see me. It'd be nice for us to eat together again."

"...Yeah. Thanks, mom." Chiyu starts walking again, trying to hurry her pace a bit. Once her mother's out of earshot, she pours all her frustration into a ragged sigh.

She presses the button, and waits.

They don't understand. None of them do. 

The lift doors open.

A couple of them are nicer than the others, but they don't understand either.

The ground floor's selected. The lift doors close, and Chiyu heads down. 

The hunk of metal makes its slow descent, as if taking its time in moving her away from this stupid place. She's just left there, trodding her feet around on the floor, until she slams her fist into the wall, and hopes her next sigh vents a bit more for her than the last.

The lift doors open again...

...

...Shit, it's not damaged, is it? ...Doesn't seem like it. Whew, good. She heads out, not even bothering to talk with the receptionist. Time to get to a place with a bit more air.

\---

The pointed headphones can't shield her head from everything while she's on her way there. The city at night is a chaotic mess of activity, and she can't even count the number of times an adult's asked her if she's ok, whether she needs to find her parents, are you sure you'll be ok? Of course she's sure. Don't ask dumb questions. It's happened on so many nights, and one time it even got chaotic enough that she had to run until one concerned dude just gave up on being concerned. Nowadays, she makes a point of walking there as fast as possible, hands in her pockets, so that she doesn't have to bother with anyone on the way.

But that hullabaloo only really accounted for half the noise she had to drag herself through. The other half wasn't something even the finest pair of dumb-looking airpods could shield; internal noise. This walk was one of the only opportunities she had to sort all the miscellaneous bull out; sifting through the timetable she's got for her subjects, which books she'll need to look at before starting 1st year at a high school- god, it's such a pain in the ass, trying to catch up with it all. 

But that's alright; it'll all be worth it. Turning the corner, she checks for creases on her brow and takes some deep breaths.

Entering the building's reception, one she could probably have mistaken for the other she'd exited just a few minutes ago were it not for this place's importance, Chiyu doesn't waste a second of time heading for the lift. This place has a lot of money packed into it; a star-speckled lounge at the bottom, a luxurious pool at the top... but she's only here for one thing. She didn't spare any time taking in her surroundings when she first got access to the building, and she certainly can't afford to now.

A familiar beep plays, the passage opens and closes.

Leaning against the wall, it's utterly silent save for the muffled mechanical whirls. Deep breaths. There's barely a soul around. She can take in the air, open her eyes, clear her mind. Everything she needs is here. The passage opens once more.

When Chiyu Tamade saunters headfirst into her lair, she feels like a superstar.

No, scrap that. She IS a superstar. Or at least, she will be, soon enough.

Half the room lights up, beckoning aspiring music producer Chu2 to her chair. The computer awakens, and the gate throws itself aside for just a little electronic stick, two black ears adorning its surface. Once it's plugged in, she's in business.

" _Fake me, disappear! Disappear!_ "

With none of the world's noise to reach her ears now, the shape of a cat rests her head on the back of her chair, taking a good look at the information on the screen. There's a practically cheshire grin she feels growing on her face, but deception isn't her goal; quite the opposite, rather. She's going to be as loud and open as she can be, in here.

It's an extremely complex piece of software, but that's why she loves it so much. Each instrument, each sound, each sample, she can refine it to her heart's content in this room. It's her haven. NOBODY can stop her from reaching her goals in here, NOTHING will take her down.

" _Deep down, just living comfortably is hollow, I thought,  
I confessed it all, staring silently at my dreams and aspirations..._"

...Wait. She's forgotten the most important thing. She checks the drawer, and fortunately, there's still a few snacks there. NOW she's on her way!

Chewing on the food with probably less manners than her aunt would've liked, musical self-proclaimed genius Chu2 quickly finds herself lost in her work. Wait, would this version of the instrument work better? Whoa, she didn't even think of developing the bassline like that before. A cackle fills the room as she continues, and it's not a lone one. It's a little hard to envision the final product currently, since she only has a voice synthesizer to produce her lyrics currently... Oh god, she forgot to extra-check this part. 

There's enough noise to make one think she'd have a conversation partner. And she does; this computer, this supposed 'heap of scrap metal'? It gives feedback more insightful, more helpful to her than anything her peers at school ever did. This subordinate is her partner in crime.

" _I'll just abandon seeking approval every day,_ "

An hour's already passed without her realizing it. She's listened to her creation countless times now, but she still wants to do more. However, even the finest artists know to take a break every now and then, she tells herself, so she slips off the headphones and leans back.

She lets the song play in the background as she gets up from the chair and stretches her limbs. There's not really anything to do when you're on break, though; so she just sits back in her chair and whirls around, trying to let enough time pass by so that she'll be back in full swing. What does everyone else do when they need to 'cool down'? She can't help but think of what she should be doing next, to lift herself further up. It hasn't even been five minutes yet.

" _Let me see._ "

She skims the ground with her foot, slowly halting the carousel. As the chair comes to a standstill, she's face-to-face with the other side of the room. In the darkness, she makes out the same stage and equipment that's been there since she first got this place; an array of guitars, cymbals and shells scattered around the place. The only change she's made since is covering them in sheets (getting those things covered in dust would just be a waste, obviously). Techno elements aside, it's roughly the same group of instruments she samples from for what she composes.

" _Let me see._ "

...What would it be like, taking her music live? At the venue, each member takes to the stage and plays every wondrous composition in unison. Every instrument has its own wielder, and together those people look more alive than anyone she's ever seen. She's tried to picture herself there before; her short frame, finding a way to tower over the world. A sea of lights waving and screams echoing below, swirling and crashing around in a tsunami that descends in a craze over the stage, only to meet its match, a tide made from a current that only emerges when everyone on stage with her plays together, a tide that swallows it all... and at the helm, riding that tide, is...

She's pondered it before. But whether she likes it or not, every human in the world only has one brain and 2 arms to play with. Live houses don't accept one-person-bands. Those don't exist. And as much as she hates to admit it, her voice isn't sufficient for a solo audition either; she would vouch for her passion even if no one else would, but she hasn't ever learned technique. 

But this computer, it has it all. This is the place where she can weather the storm all on her own, no matter how rough it is. With this digital beauty, she's sitting in the judge's seat for the auditions, and that authority lets her permit her own solo audition. It's the sole place where such a gigantic ship can be run in its entirety by just one person. 

" _Let me see._ "

...

She skims her hand over the surface of the monitor screen. The elements of her music are all right there. Her eyes see them all. But trying to feel them doesn't give the same sensation of connection; not when there's a layer of glass between them and her.

Her hand grasps, and falls on nothing but thin air.

Her mind takes her back to a concert she watched online a while back. The live house, packed to the brim; for every brick in the building, there was a person in that crowd. The vocalist, wielding the microphone like a blade, the boom of her voice rooting every soul by their feet as she leans on her bassist's back. Their shadows moving, eyes connecting like dots across the stage, speaking without speaking, irises hued in their emotions' pools of dye. The stage, painted, the crowd, painted, even her screen, painted.

She shakes her head like it's been drenched in water, and refocuses her gaze to her front. Her head's just wading around at this point, when it could be keeping her afloat instead. She's going to see this through no matter what. Sitting back on deck, she takes the wheel and directs her colossal ship through the seas.


	2. Chapter 2

Chiyu sighs.

Even in this half-lit heaven, she can't escape from the rest of her life. It's not as if education is a complete bore to her, but bearing the brunt of it faster than someone her age needs to tends to make all the material less endearing. Sorting out texts and emails from her mom, and her aunt, and the school staff, and her two cousins who are admittedly VERY adorable but also kind of irritating and- look, she just doesn't have the time for all this and they really shouldn't given those kids phones at their age. Hell, Chiyu knows some people HER age who don't even have phones yet.

Over the past two weeks, she's gotten at least five angry messages from various relatives she couldn't give a damn about. Look, she'll deal with it; it's not the WORST set of circumstances in the world to be facing, obviously. Any obstacles on her path to greatness, she can deal with and remove. But she'd be lying if she said the crude messages from people she wanted nothing to do with didn't make her shoulders slump a bit more.

"Aaaaaaaaaand deleted. _Disappear!_ "

She whirls the chair around for dramatic effect (it just exudes character, you know?) and looks back at the screen. But the gusto is hollow; she's feeling the exhaustion already today, even though it's the weekend. Reading through so many textbooks does that to a person, huh.

"God, this sucks, don't you think?" She gazes at the screen, expecting a response. She could set up one of those desktop bots she's seen on livestreams, one of the small anime characters who could respond to voice input, but that's a bit tawdry for her liking. So alas, the only response she hears is a very thin echo of "god, this sucks, don't you think?"

Yeah, it sure does, girl. At times like these, she just feels stuck. Spinning round and round on her chair, music producer Chu2 falls into an extended break and sinks into her imagination for a bit. Even with the scenery travelling around her in a frenetic whirl, her eyes slowly start to feel like they're closing...

She sees it again. She can't help but place her desk, her belongings, her computer, on that stage. She can stand up and look beyond the monitor, seeing hordes of open mouths chanting "Encore! Encore!" To the right of her desk, there's a silhouette surrounded by a drum kit. To the left, a keyboard displays another, and if she looks a little downward from above her computer she can see a few more. They all nod, and that's everything she needs to know. She taps the button, grabs the mic in front of her, and announces...

"We-"

Chiyu jolts her eyes open; they're gazing at the unlit side of the room, her mouth agape, as if time had stopped it from moving. Did she fall asleep?

...Tired. It has been a little tiring lately, hasn't it? Well, that's just fine. No use in getting wound up over it. She'll just carry on with composition, just for a bit longer...

Five minutes pass, total, before her mind wanders again. Every video in her recent feed replays itself in her head, until she just opens her phone and looks at them with her goddamn eyes instead. One video's labelled "grumpy cat memes", another's labelled "me getting an autograph from minato-san oh my god!!!!" Scroll a bit further up, and there's "SCANDAL! More toxic waste found in the Pacific Ocean!", and the most recent one is labelled "SPACE's Last Event - A Thank You To All Our Friends." 

Chiyu heaves a sigh so heavy that she's impressed with herself, honestly. Screw it. She gets up, packs the bag and leaves the studio, taking the headphones and laptop with her. In a span of time she wishes would just move a little faster than it is now, she takes the lift down and hits the second floor. A hallway spreads out on both sides from her, a red carpet dividing the checkered floor into two. Rows of couches litter the other side, gazing over one large continuous window spanning the floor.

She chucks a coin into the vending machine, grabs the fizziest thing she can find, chugs it down and chucks it in the trash. Walking down the hallway, she feels the fresh breeze through some open sections of the window, and honestly that's all she wants; it's as sunny a day as you can get out there. If she gazed out, she'd probably have to squint, considering all the time she'd spent indoors lately. So she just looks straight ahead and saunters down beside the window, content to take in the silence. It's a refreshing change of pace.

She stops as she hears laughter. Against her better judgement, she looks out of the window and below; there's a group of girls, probably high-school age, chattering down there. Probably smiling. The discussion seems like typical idle gossip. Occasionally, the teal-haired girl teases her pink-haired friend, flat-out hugging her in glee at one point as her friends look on and sigh in endearment. They look like a cluster of pastel-coloured ice cream scoops, from this distance.

Their ordinary conversations feel weirdly irritating, after a while, so she turns around and starts heading further down. But she jumps when she finds someone else standing before her-

"Ah!"

"Ah."

...It's been about 5 days since she talked to anyone in person, she realizes. This is a good opportunity; she'll need to keep communication going properly with her teachers when she's in high-school. This staff member isn't exactly teacher-years old (more like a college girl, really), but she seems adult enough to be good social practice; her ponytail-tied hair and prim uniform scream "I'm 20 and just trying my best here."

"...How's the work going here? Can't imagine it's all that eventful."

"Oh!" The woman seems a little surprised, but not intimidated, at least. Chiyu's learnt at this point that, at her height? She's probably not going to be scaring anyone away. It works to her advantage sometimes. "...Yeah, you're right. I'm actually one of the only staff on post here today."

"You're still cleaning this place despite that? _Not bad!_ That's some good dedication."

"Y-yeah!" She's a tad shy, but hey, sociable enough. Chiyu hasn't felt this relaxed in a while, even with the typical social awkwardness present when talking with any distant associate. "You're... Kyrie Tamade's son, right? I hear about you from your uncle sometimes!"

...Oh, right. Nearly a week in isolation's made her forget. There's not a person around here who actually thinks she's a girl.

Chiyu hears the innocent laughter of the pastel-coloured crew, down below.

"I-is something wrong? Ah, wait!"

She hasn't even realized it yet, but she's already running. She doesn't wait for the lift to arrive, instead turning the corner of the building onto another part of the hallway. It takes 30 seconds for her to reach the lift on the other side, fortunately immediately present for her to enter.

...Where should she go? Back to the studio? What's she going to do there? Is she in the mood to do anything right now? Won't they just check for her there anyway?

What about another part of the building? There's plenty of space to just retreat into for a while. But what if another person finds her, and she has to hear those damn words again?

Outside, maybe? Pointless. What's out there for her? Who?

She hits the button for the ground floor, hoping she'll make a decision before she arrives. Opening her phone, she plays the most recent video on her history.

...Outside. She doesn't know what she'll find there, boldly assuming there even IS anything there, but she's going to head outside.

...The lift doors open, and she steps out through the passage. Walking through the reception and heading outside, she picks something noisy at random to play on her phone and turns the volume up on her headphones, hoping she won't hear their voices.

\---

That makes six times she's kicked over a trash can in her path. Away from the public eye, obviously. Cleared up afterwards too, obviously. She made sure she SWORE every time she kicked one over, though. That'd show them. Her aunt would be horrified.

Chiyu doesn't know where she is; it's a lot less city-esque, and the streets are much more peaceful. Not an environment she's used to, but it's relaxing enough that she'll roll with it. The headphones are resting on her shoulders now, her ears taking in the chirping of the birds. The sky is tinted a slight orange, but she knows she can make it back home in time if she uses her phone, so it's no big deal.

Why is she here, though? She might've not gotten anything done if she went back to the studio, but she'd at least be able to lock herself up, just lie down and... I dunno, practice deep breathing, maybe. Then eventually go back to like, sorting her upcoming highschool work out, before she gets back to composition. It'd be a lot more productive than this... So, why is she here? What is she looking for, in the middle of a random suburban street 45 minutes a walk away from her studio?

Well, why not trust her gut feeling; maybe her musical-genius-sense is at play, after all. Some artists DO say that walking outside helps them with their work... so, why not. Let's just roll with it and see what she can find! Maybe the sounds of nature'll give her some ideas for samples, or give her the refreshment she needs to think more clearly about lyrics. If it's for her own glorious music, anything's interesting.

Turning around the corner, Chiyu gazes at the rows of houses surrounding her. All perfectly quaint around here, only the occasional clouds of people walking by, conversing with each other, adding that pinch of livelihood to the neighbourhood. In some ways, though, it's pretty similar to her experience walking through the city. The only thing stopping a concerned passerby from holding her up here is their lower quantity. She keeps a brisk pace, hoping nobody starts a conversation as she tries to gleam whatever it is her gut's trying to drive her towards.

And then, she hears it.

And she stops.

It's not a single note or two she hears, not whispers of a song. She hears a piece, all at once, and even fills out extra parts in her mind. She feels like she's standing next to a stream, which widens into a river when she looks further up. The splash of each current from the melody becomes more audible as she nears the source. Before she knows it, she starts moving.

It's beautiful. Where is it? Where is it coming from? She has to know. She has to.

She's standing outside a residence like any other now; quaint, passably middle-class, it blends in with the rest of the street like a wise chameleon. Without the distinguishable buzzes of a keyboard, there'd be no incentive for Chiyu to go anywhere near the place. But right now, she can't help but position herself at the entrance, her foot ready to take the next step forward.

...What the hell is she doing? She's normally not one to doubt herself, but Chiyu also normally knows better than to be incidentally drawn to the silhouette of a keyboard player in the neighbourhood. She figures she's just interested; it's not every day she's heard that kind of playing, after all.

But that kind of playing can come from anyone. If they love music, anyone can pick it up, learn it, and improve at it. Everyone can play. The friendly boy she used to hang out with at elementary school, who cut contact with her after she started wearing a skirt. The girl she used to see at events her father hosted, a few years older than her, who acted like she was mature enough to belittle everyone else (especially her). The sharply-dressed man she saw at a restaurant one time, who previously managed to escape what should've been airtight criminal accusations... her intuition told her that their playing was 'good.' And it was correct, in that department. But it's not as good at telling her about anything else.

Her leg is lifting itself up for her first step towards the front door, and yeah. She knows, she knows. A music producer like her shouldn't ignore musical skills when she sees it. It's best to at least take a good look, in case she has something to learn from it. Without that attitude, she would've stopped attending live house concerts a while back. But this is different; in a live house, you can observe someone's skill (and their character, to an extent) without talking to them, or getting close to them. You can witness the kind of musical whirlpool they create, without knowing anything about them that'd drown you.

And that's not the case here. Wanting to talk to this person... she knows what a dumb decision it is. She ran away from a studio barely an hour ago for the same reason. So why... why-

"Ah, to hell with it..." She mutters under her breath. She's feeling too confused for comfort, her head's aching too much. Who cares, who cares. It's not like her to get so sentimental, so caught up about things. Let's just go, why not. Follow her instinct. In about two seconds flat, she walks from the entrance right up to the door and rings the bell.

For a few seconds, nothing happens; the playing doesn't stop, nobody's steps are heard. Like, screw it; Chiyu's had her fair share of messy moments in life. As cursed as she's been, she knows she'll carry her blessings with her, and navigate further beyond the musical horizon than anyone else. So what's another stain? 

The melodious keyboard stops abruptly. There's a semblance of movement. Chiyu's not entirely trusting her intuition, obviously; no band formation is going to come from this, no friend is going to be made. 

Footsteps approach the door.

...But... who knows. Who knows, at this point. Maybe something good, of some kind, will happen. Something will happen. She doesn't know.

The door starts to open. Chiyu holds her breath.

\---

Reona Nyubara is in a... sticky situation.

Okay, that's more like the terminology she's using so that she doesn't panic, rather than a fact. She can feel a dash of heat drain from her face, like it's just eating a bucket of ice-cold water, and she can't really ignore it. This... might be really bad, actually.

In the past eight seconds, facing the front door, she's processed the following things: Someone is at the door, probably a neighbour or a street advertiser. The rest of her family's out shopping right now, which she'd forgotten about until just now. She's wearing a pastel-coloured shirt with a cutesy print on it, a skirt, and her wig, whose colours stick out like nobody's business... and there's no jacket of any kind in sight, so both her legs and her arms are exposed. 

It's a recipe for disaster, no matter what she does. She can see herself opening the door to dad's friend from next door, wondering what on earth he's looking at, calling her parents about it and spreading rumours about their family when Mom and Dad go to work. She can see herself opening the door to the sweet mother from across the street, who brings her kids with her around the neighbourhood and hands out cinnamon pies, being frightened by her and shouting at her own mother that she's a bad influence. She can see herself leaving the visitor with no response, and her parents asking her why she didn't lead inside the important businessman who was supposed to visit Dad today.

She shakes her head for a second, and tries to cool herself down. If she lets herself panic over something like this, who knows how much trouble she'll cause down the line. Walking to the front door with about as much majesty as a headless chicken, she just... tries to shut off whatever brainpower she has left, and opens the door. 

...Ah, well, she says that, but then she looks and realizes she's opened it by about a centimetre, at best. There's a faint feeling of hot air scraping her skin from outside, as she does so.

...Slooooowly, she opens the door further, until she can peek half her head around and see who the visitor is. 

What she does NOT expect is a girl who looks only marginally higher than half her height, her gaze fixed like stone towards Reona.

She's still trying to suppress her fear, but she can't help but poke her whole head out, as if the action will somehow confirm what her eyes are seeing. This... kid? Easy first impression, but Reona's taller for her age than she'd like, so there's probably not much of a time gap. In any case, she doesn't look like anyone Mom or Dad knows at all.

...Maybe that's a good thing. She doesn't know why, but the knowledge makes her open up further, revealing her full figure to the visitor.

...A few seconds of silence. The girl's stare basically hasn't changed at all, not since the door was first opened. Looking into the faint, light shade of blue in her eyes, Reona feels like she's on a raft at sea, staring at the edge of the sky. She still feels tense around her, but at least her head isn't firing on all cylinders anymore.

"...Um..."

She could swear the messy tufts of her hair perked up, like the ears of a cat. Having been brought back to the mortal coil, said cat shook her head and stood about as upright as she could. Instantly, Reona finds a business card in her hand.

"Chu2. Professional music producer. The _greatest_ there'll be!" 

"Oh!" ...She's not sure what to say to an introduction like that. "N-nice to meet you. H-how can I help you?" Oh god, she can feel her body jittering. Was she always this awkward when talking to strangers before?

"W-well..." The visitor looks momentarily nervous (did she improvise her introduction? she doesn't look like an advertiser), but quickly tries to shrug it off. "Your playing. It's skilled. I want to hear it."

"...W-what?" Hey, hang on. Reona Nyubara, who's played the same set of songs for half a year straight now? Skilled? She's feeling a little distressed at the idea. "I-I appreciate it, but... I don't think I'm the sort of person who could play your... um..."

Chu2 shakes her head like she can't believe what she's hearing, then sticks out what appears to be a USB stick. The ears on it are... adorable, actually. "Then, just take a listen to my music."

"H-huh? But..."

"Don't make assumptions about your ability until you try playing along with it." She tries to parse what Chu2's saying, but... her voice sounds strangely familiar. Not 'familiar' as in 'belongs to someone I know', but more like... it's like she can understand what the voice's made of.

"Well?" The question snaps Reona back to reality. "Take my music in, then call me about it after, got it?" When she looks down, the USB stick's being placed in her hands in nearly an instant. 

"...Eh?" The confused utterance is all she can do to respond to this mystery visitor. "W-wait!" When she looks up, though, she sees Chu2's already walking away from the house. 

...Slowly. Is her body shaking? It's hard for Reona to tell, considering she's still slightly on edge herself, but the little cat's taking faint half-steps, occasionally turning her body around slightly. Does she not want to leave yet? Is she unsatisfied? Angry?

Chu2 sighs, stops, and turns around to face her again, and the laser-focus in her eyes is of an intensity Reona is NOT used to. It's fixing her to the spot, like the cautious stare of a courtroom judge trying to decide the verdict of a trial.

"...Don't take my music lightly, okay?" She says, hands on her hips as she takes a couple steps back towards her. "I didn't come here for a laugh. I'm only giving you that item because-"

Drop.

.

Holy hell. An insultingly fat globule of water slaps the poor girl's nose. It's killed both her speech and the tone of the conversation with enough blunt force to make Reona want to cry.

...Wait. Reona looks up at the sky; oh god, the clouds? Is it about to rain this suddenly? Really? A few more droplets land on the grass and concrete around the pair in confirmation, and they look at each other; she's searching for something, anything, to say that would clarify the current atmosphere of the conversation to her, because honestly she's dumbfounded. And still mournful for Chu2's dignity.

"...Um..."

"...Well..." They're both racking their brains.

The rainfall's weight quickly presses down on the street, as if egging them inside.

"...Do you want to come inside until it passes?" 

"...Yeah, that'd be good..."

Reona steps aside and lets the messy goblin in, who's grumbling and brushing her nose repeatedly as if it'll exact some kind of vengeance on that villainous, watery fiend (she can't blame her, honestly). The girl's a little intimidating, and by all accounts she should feel scared by this situation... but she can't bring herself to feel fear. It's strange, but there's this vague feeling of hope in her; hope that she'll get to talk with someone new. Maybe it's because the girl is closer to her age, maybe it's because her impression of Reona isn't tainted by the shell she has to put on at school... she's just hoping, for something, of some kind. 

She's not sure. But she wants to find out.

\---

It's barely taken any time for them to reach the front room, but each second feels like a minute in of itself now. Opening the curtains, Reona's shocked by how fast the rain picks up, the sky quickly being devoured by swathes of grey. It turns darker by the minute, and Reona figures she's probably going to be stuck here without her parents for a while. Normally, she'd actually be happy to have a bit more time to herself, but...

Right, her visitor. Reona turns around to see her new scruffy friend finding a seat for herself at the side of the room, arms crossed and one leg placed on the other.

"Oh, right! I-Is there anything you'd like to drink, Chu2? You might be here for a while..."

"...Coffee. Black with cream but no sugar, please."

"G-got it!" She dashes to the kitchen, feeling slightly on edge. It's not really that she feels endangered by someone about two thirds her size, but it's more like she's feeling... awkward? Off-put? ...Wait, has she actually talked to anyone other than her parents in this outfit before?

"Right. Uhhh...." Reona takes the moment to try and push those thoughts aside, as the coffee's brewing. What's Chu2 here for, exactly? She didn't say much, other than just wanting to hear her play. It's kind of flattering for a music producer to take an interest in her keyboard playing, but... she has several questions??? Is someone her age really a producer? Why'd she even come here, in particular?

...Was it literally just because she just happened to hear her playing, as she passed by? Reona humours the thought for a moment, flattering as it is... because normally, the people passing by her house don't know her by the name Reona. They're usually long-time neighbours who've known her family even before she was born. This situation here... it's like someone new has seen the person who's really responsible for the music she plays.

Looking at the coffee as she pours it into the cup, Reona sees a little stage grow on top. Various little shapes emerge from the ground... briefly, there's an orchestra, then there's a duet, and then there's a single person, hair adorned in a tail to each side, placing her fingers on a grand piano. The surface of the cream shifts between these shapes, until the music stops, and the girl stands, keyboard at her side, for the world's audience to see...

The sound of thunder jumps her from her daydreaming; oh, right, someone's waiting on this! She quickly heads back to the room, cup and saucer in hand, and finds Chu2 examining the corners of the room. Reona doesn't really know what she's looking for, considering that the room's a little barren aside from the keyboard.

Chu2 notices her return, and takes the coffee from her. Seated back on her chair, she takes a sip wordlessly.

"... _Excellent!_ " She blurts out in English, focusing an affirming gaze on Reona. "It's a good blend. You have good taste in both coffee and keyboards."

"Oh! T-thank you..." Maybe she wasn't entirely wrong, to assume that she came to this house just because of her playing. But now, as Reona sits down next to her favorite instrument, she's determined to try and find out a bit more about this funky stranger. "S-So... you said you wanted to hear my playing?"

Chu2 nods, and places her cup on her lap. "Like I said previously, the name's Chu2! Professional music producer. I'm interested in hearing you play."

"Hearing me play?"

Her companion heaves a sigh, as if she's working up something deep inside of her. "...I'm a producer. But I'd be lying if I said I'm not also interested in taking my music onto a stage."

A stage. Reona fixates on those words, a bit. She recalls a concert held by her favorite band, a while back.

"O-of course, I can do without taking my music live, if I need to! ...But I'm definitely interested in it. Have you ever wondered what it's like to play live, uh... um..."

"R-Reona. Reona Nyubara." Wow; she doesn't take it in immediately, but there's a liberating feeling, being able to give her actual name out to a new person for the first time.

"Reona Nyubara! Have you ever wondered what it's like, taking your music onstage?"

...It's been such a long time since she thought about it. A few months ago, she was sitting in this room, nobody in the house being present to hold her back, playing this very keyboard. But the memory feels weirdly distant.

She gulps. "...Yeah. I have, before."

Chu2 leans her head forward. "That's why I'm interested in scouting for band members. The _greatest_ band, to play the _greatest_ music, for everyone to see."

"I see... but why? Why me, I mean."

"Is there any point to that question? I have good tastes, I'll have you know."

She's not low on confidence, that's for sure; but Reona can't share it. She clasps her hands at her waist and gazes down at the ground as she responds. "Surely there's plenty of others... besides, can't you scout online, or at live houses?"

There's a momentary silence. 

"W-well, of course I can!" Chu2 says. "B-but... I-I mean, it's not like you'll get the cream of the crop just by looking in the obvious places. Besides... I-I came here on my musical gut feelings. They've never failed me."

"...You came here on gut feeling?"

"Yeah! I just took a walk here because I felt like it, and then I found you. Pretty good musical sense, am I right?"

She's pretty sure she has... no idea what this person is talking about. Is this how professionals do things?

"S-so you're scouting me because you just happened to come by here and hear my playing?"

"Yup!"

...She can't help but giggle a bit at that. Fortunately, it's a gesture Chu2 doesn't seem to notice. Regardless of how 'professional' a producer she actually is, Reona kind of can't help but admire her. She seems strong, in a way.

"So, no need to wait, then. Let's hear your playing while it's still raining outside!"

"Oh! O-Okay! Just... should I play anything in particular?"

"Whatever you think suits you best. That's what I want to hear."

"O-Okay..."

Reona turns around, her back to the window and Chu2, and it falls silent. The only things in her sight are a keyboard, a score and a plain white wall. As Reona ponders what to play, her ears take in the pitter-patter of the rain and the flittering of the sheets. Chu2's presence feels so palpable, even in this silence, and Reona's emotions just wander.

What is it she's feeling? On one hand, she's taken a liking to this visitor, the two trapped in this house by the uncontrollable weather. She just has something Reona doesn't, a kind of confidence and bluntness she wishes she could carry with her. She always fears the gazes of strangers on the few occasions where she's carrying herself to the mall, tugging her own sleeves at the wrists as walks, but this person doesn't give off that same kind of anxiety. She can't see this raggedy little puffball at her side being scared of anyone around her; and she's not judging Reona here, where she doesn't even have a jacket to hide her frame. For that reason, she's okay with playing for her.

But... is her playing really what this person wants? What if it's just too paltry for her aspirations? Wouldn't that just be a waste of her time? Reona looks back at her, and she's sitting with her eyes closed, deep in thought, waiting for the beginning.

She speaks. "Don't worry about what you pick too much. So long as you play something you like, I'm happy to listen to it."

...Reona gulps, and turns back. It's time to move aside all thought, for now. Reona picks a piece close to her heart, and starts playing.

As sets of arpeggios roll the melody in, she can't help but think about her current situation. Her playing, her notes; the small mistakes feel so much more audible, so much more worrying, when there's nothing separating her and her audience. Most piano playing sounds nice when it's coming through a window, but when you're in the same room, what does it sound like? Do people hear all her small mistakes? Does it feel more irritating that way, less beautiful, less uplifting? 

Something gnaws at the back of her mind as the piece rises, telling her this is wrong. Telling her she's wasting her time, wasting Chu2's time. Telling her that she's just getting in her way, setting her up for disappointment like this. She should've just turned her down and closed the door; maybe she would have, if the rain hadn't started. She turns her head back as she plays and looks upon Chu2 again, a figure so small yet so strangely imposing. There's no response from her, no grimace or joy of any kind, at first. 

But then she opens her eyes, and looks back at Reona, and the playing stops momentarily. She's struck still by the deep sky-blue of the producer's eyes once again, setting a stare upon her face like it's the murky colour of the sealine at the shore.

"Keep playing," is all she says. Her voice, it's a voice a little raspier than most, and yet somehow still so clear to Reona. It's inspiring.

Reona feels her own brows fix down, and the weird surge of confidence she feels colours her expression. Turning back around, she starts playing again, without a second to waste.

After the piece finishes, she starts another, from start to finish, without another pause. Then a third. She doesn't know why she's chosen that many, or why she's playing them in that order; she just wants to play. She just wants someone to hear Reona Nyubara play.

Knowing the length of these pieces, all of their little expressions and details, it had probably taken at least twelve minutes for her to finish. But it all felt like mere seconds, in comparison to the year and a half she felt pass by back when she opened the door up to this visitor.

Removing her hands from the keyboard, Reona breathes in, and out. And in... and out. Then she starts to turn around. "...What did you thi-"

She's stopped, dead in her tracks, by the expression on Chu2's face. She's sitting up and alert on her chair, hands on her knees, her eyes fixed on Reona.

"...You..."

Reona doesn't respond, not immediately. She's still struck by the girl's expression, which she can't decipher. But it feels like it has a meaning to it. It reminds her of the earlier feeling she had, when she first heard the girl's voice.

"...Hey, Reona. Do you like your playing?"

"...Yes." She can't help but gaze back down at the floor, again, as she takes herself back in time. "I've played it for years now, but... I really started liking it a few months back." The memory, so recent, felt so vague up until just now. But she really loved it. "...I think about what it's like, sometimes, to be able to play on stage, in front of so many people."

"You do? Did you ever try to form a girls' band, or anything? Or try and book a solo venue? Play live?"

"G-girls' band? Live?" She looks up momentarily, confused by Chu2's question. What makes her think she could play live so easily? "No... there's no way I'd be good enough for it."

"You absolutely are." 

It's jarring, to hear that. "I-I... I don't think anyone wants to see me play in a place like that. That's why I just play here, mainly. I've never thought about trying to actually play live, before."

"Why?"

Why? It's obvious, isn't it? She can't book at a venue with the name 'Reona'. "...Even if I did, it'd cause nothing but trouble. My parents would be worried about my safety."

She hears a stuttered breath. Looking up, she sees Chu2's eyes shrink, then widen again.

"Reona." The address makes her feel something she can't describe. "...I-I think, y'know, that we have a lot in common, _you and me!_ "

"Do we?"

"Yeah! I've got family members who hate what I'm doing, too. I get that."

"W-well, I wouldn't call it hate, but..."

"They think it's a waste, that they're giving me so much attention and money just for me to go and spend it all on music. Even though my music's _amazing!_ "

Ah. Well, that's... a little different from what she's worried about. The way Reona is, she and Chu2 probably have different concerns about playing on a stage.

"And it might not just be them, either. The staff at music venues, the bandmates I might end up with... even the audience, potentially. All of them would probably end up hating me if they knew the truth about me."

"...H-huh? The audience? Why?"

Her friend breathes in, then out. "...The same reason as you."

.

Time stops. Does she mean...

"For both of us... the fact that we're girls was something we realised later, right?"

She does.

It's like Reona was sitting in a cave, and the ceiling's just been completely annihilated. Boulders hurl themselves beside her in full force, cracking through the ground below and letting the waves of the shore travel further inside. When the rubble settles, there's rays of sunlight peering from above, glimmering the swirls of water and sand beneath her.

"...H-huh?!"

"...Was I wrong?" 

Reona pinches herself, and yup, she's awake. Refocusing her gaze, she sees the girl standing in front of her, shuddering like she was back on the doorstep. 

Ah. Wait, right, she hasn't responded-

"I-I'm sorry. Forget it. I didn't ask anything."

"Wait!" She practically throws her arms out at Chu2, and oh god right she needs to pull herself together. "...Yeah. You're right. I just didn't figure you were the same..."

The girl's eyes open wide. She swears she can make out a brief grin on her face, before it's suppressed by a loud 'ahem'. "S-so... y-yeah, I mean... I was right, of course! My gut's never wrong when I need it the most-"

"How could you tell?" She's lurched from her seat and grasped Chu2's hands, and they're real. They're alive. There's another person out there she knows now, someone who's right in front of her and not on a group chat or an international forum on the net.

"W-well... y-your playing, I guess? It was kind of, it felt relatable?" She's at a loss for once on how to respond (it's kind of cute, Reona thinks in passing). "T-that! And, um... your hair. The colours."

"...Oh, right." Yeah, blue and pink with white ornaments is a bit of a giveaway, now that she thinks about it. Sort of, maybe? "...I-I guess that is a pretty blatant sign, isn't it?"

"Yeah... though I only noticed that half a minute ago."

.

"Pff." It's funny.

"W-what's so funny?"

"Pfft... a ha ha hahaha!" There's this weird mix of anxiety, happiness and flowing air whirling around inside her. She feels like she could just giggle for a long, long time.

"Hey! Look, I just- plenty of people wear pink and blue, ok?! I'm not a fashion expert!" She's red and grumpy in the face, and it's adorable.

"I know, I know," Reona manages to say, in the midst of the laughter. "It's just... thank you." Chu2 blushes, and she gets the sudden urge to hug the girl tight. "...I never thought I'd meet someone who understands."

Chu2 doesn't verbalise a response. There's a tightened grip on Reona's hands, though, and when she looks up she sees those crystal-clear eyes gleam again.

"Reona Nyubara. Will you listen to my music?"

"..." She remembers the little USB stick Chu2 gave her earlier, and finds it in her pocket. "...Can I?"

A nod. "Use this." A backpack's slid off, and a laptop's taken out. The gate to a wide, open sea throws itself aside. A pair of cat-eared headphones make their way to Reona's head. As Chu2 opens a piece of music inside the folder, she sees the name; 'R . I . O . T'.

It takes about 2 seconds for the music to start. The clouds outside darken the room, and all other sound feels like it's just disappeared for the moment. The melody builds... and it rises. 

She can practically see the crowd, roaring below. The wave of glowsticks she's only ever let herself dream about once or twice, flowing onto the stage. The music feels like it'll crush them at any moment, and yet the lights don't fade. But that doesn't make the performance stop; no, everyone's playing just gets even more intense. They won't let their fingers leave their instruments until they've played the entire venue to its end.

Five minutes pass in the blink of an eye. Feeling like she's envisioned another world, she takes the headphones off. This music feels like it was MADE to be played on stage.

Another five seconds pass, at about the same speed.

"...Reona, let me ask again. Have you ever thought about trying to perform live?"

She doesn't mean it as a flight of fancy. The determination in her gaze... she's looked at it a lot in the past hour and a half, but as Reona turns to face her, she thinks; this girl is really strong. This girl actually wants to play live.

"...Yeah. I want to. I know mom doesn't want it, I know dad doesn't want it... I know they're scared about me, about how I'll be treated. And I'm scared, too. But..." She sets her gaze on Chu2. "...I want to try and do it. I-I want to believe... that even I can go up on that stage, like all those other girls, and play too."

She breathes in, and says what she let herself only think, those few months ago. "I want that stage to see who I am."

"..." The smile she only caught a hint of is now back on Chu2's face. The producer lets out a contented sigh, and lets go of her hands. "It looks like I'll have to change my plans. Not that I'm complaining, though."

"H-huh? Why?"

"Hmhmhmm." The chuckle would sound more menacing if it came from someone who wasn't two thirds Reona's size. "Originally, I was just thinking of making the best music in the world. But now..." She turns around. "Now I'm thinking of making the best girls' band in the world, too."

"...The... best girls' band?"

"That's right! Let's _change the world._ " She offers out her hand. "...Will you join me?"

"M-me? Join you?" That's... a big proposition. 

"We can play that music, together."

"...But... there's so much. There's so much standing in the way."

"Tear it aside."

"T-there's..." She's scared, still. There's so much that could stand in the way. She's not sure she could ever have the same confidence that Chu2 does. "The name and gender on my forms... what people would say about me... what they'd think... whether the venues will even let me play. I'm scared."

"...I can help." Reona looks up, and the gaze isn't any less confident than it was before. 

"...How?"

"I've already got everything legal changed myself! I can help you through that, too. I can already make any venue accept my application, too; it's one of the only perks of being in my dumb family."

...It's possible. It's hard, but possible. She wants to play with this girl, she really does.

But will it be ok? Will everything turn out ok? Will she actually be able to play on stage?

...She doesn't know. But she wants to try, for once.

"...I... I don't know if I can... but... Chu2." It's her turn to try and be a bit resolute. "I want to try. Can I play with you?" 

"...Y-yeah. Let's... make the greatest girls' band there is. We'll pull it off."

It's a shaky line, but that smile is the most genuine one she's seen today, and Reona just thinks; she's brave. Even with all her shaking, she came into this house with as little hesitation as she could muster. It makes her think she could be that brave too, it makes her want to play with her, and it makes her want to know more about her too.

Reona can only nod in response to her declaration. The rain continues to fall. Maybe, maybe it's okay to try. Even as dangerous as it might be, she doesn't want to hide.

"A-and, uh..." Her new friend blushes. "...It's Chiyu. Chiyu Tamade."

The biggest smile Reona's had in months grows on her face. "Nice to meet you, Chiyu."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Thank you so much if you're reading this, since this is a pretty big fic for me! This is firmly hypothetical and headcanon-based; I have no idea what's actually going to be the story behind Chu2 pulling Pareo out of the darkness, but BOY do I wanna know and BOY was I thinking about it
> 
> I pretty much fell in love with this pairing once I finished the Bandori anime's 2nd season, and I've been wanting to write something about it ever since, so that's what I did! It probably wouldn't have come to existence if it weren't for Pareo's hair to begin with, so... thank you to hair dye??????
> 
> I want to make sure my content warnings're appropriate for each fic I upload, so please let me know if you have any issue with them o7! 
> 
> twit: @fushyfush


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